Piercing the Veil
by MuffinMasta5000
Summary: As Sauron was defeated he searched for new ways return to power and he found a magic flower. Meanwhile, Rapunzel and Eugene have just settled into the castle. When Sauron creates a passage between their worlds, characters from both sides mix to fight him.
1. Prologue

Sauron stood between the veil of existence. Beaten by mere mortals, a hobbit no less. His dark form shimmered for a moment with the gale force of his rage. He considered passing on into the void into eternal nothingness. But then again, an eternity with his master, Morgoth was not preferred. So he waited, seeking inspiration from the darkness. His thoughts stretched to the four corners of Arda as he searched for some tangible detail he could pursue. He looked for many weeks but searched in vain as this world was purged of evil in his departure.

Suddenly, Sauron realized that this was the answer. This world lacked any means for him to re establish his rule. However he soon became aware of another land which drew his interest. So he sent his spies to find more of this world and at last he found his ticket to domination of Arda. Long ago, the maiden spirit Arien, spirit of the sun, had cried a single tear from the heavens. This tear landed near a small kingdom named Corona where it grew into a flower of life.

This flower was given the power of Arien's master, Vána the Ever-young. It was a flower of healing. Destroyed, Sauron thought grimly. the flower was used to save a mortal queen as she lay dying with a child. But wait, within this queen the magic settled into a girl. Although here power was diminished he could still feel the thrum of its energy within her. If he could get his hands on this girl… He could resurrect himself and his servants and reclaim dominion over Arda and possibly this land as well. Sauron had only to send a representative over to Corona and capture this girl to cover all lands in his darkness.

So Sauron ripped the veil of the two worlds and began to assemble his forces to enter Corona. Members of Arda would slowly find themselves appearing in Corona and this could be a problem. Thus Sauron made haste as his forces assembled for war…


	2. Chapter 1, Hobbits in the Square

The midday sun bathed the kingdom of Corona in its light. The castle walls glimmered like pearl as its banners caught high in the breeze to display a golden sun on a purple flag. Life was good, the lost princess had been found, crime was almost completely gone and the people flourished under good times. However unbeknownst to the people of the kingdom, two short, curly haired, and very irritated hobbits had wandered into their land and were now heading straight for the castle.

"Where are we going?" asked Pippin as he and Merry stumbled through the woods.

Merry replied, exasperated "I have no idea Pippin, one minute were enjoying a day in Tuckborough then you decide to go galavanting off into the woods."

"I can't help it, I thought I saw something." Pippin replied meekly. "But it's no sense complaining about it now."

Merry ignored him and continued to sulk while wandering aimlessly through the woods only stopping to curse at the occasional branch that tripped him. _Not nearly as bad as Fangorn._ Merry thought.

Suddenly the forest dropped away into a small sandy beach, beyond it was a white bridge that led to an island with an impressive looking castle.

"What do you reckon that is?" Pippen asked in awe.

"A big castle." Merry replied dryly. Now why don't we go see who lives there. Merry and Pippin walked down to the water's edge and onto the bride. It was fairly populous however many traders with carts stopped to give them queer looks. However as hobbits normally get this treatment from the "big folk". Merry and Pippin just continued onwards.

As they entered the gates they could tell that this was at least a well maintained city. Tall buildings stretched around large open streets. Vendors and entertainers could be seen selling their wares and the castle was maintained by professional looking guards.

Before Merry could stop him Pippin yelled at one of the nearest guards "Oi! What city is this?"

The guard who had otherwise had an uneventful day turned in surprise at the voice. What he saw was not a normal sight. Two young boys by the looks of it, dressed in fine armor and clothing. Both had light curly hair and one was now beckoning him closer. Reluctantly the guard approached and put on his best serious face.

"Excuse me sir but please try not to cause a disturbance." The guard said in a monotone.

"Sorry about my friend." Replied Merry sheepishly, "We just want to know where we are?"

The guard looked at them skeptically before saying "You are in Corona, capital of the empire of King Richard and Queen Anne."

"Great!" exclaimed Pippin, "So now where's that? And who are Richard and Anne?"

The guard just looked at them like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Move along peasant, I have work to do. Do yourself a favor and go join the celebration. The Princess and Prince Consort shall be making another appearance any time soon in the town square." The guard then turned away and returned to his position.

Merry and Pippin looked at each other with identical expressions of puzzlement.

"Any idea where _Corona_ is?" Pippin asked.

"Not a clue." Replied Merry, "But I know what we're going to do here. Didn't you hear that guard? There is a party in progress. Even royalty is making an appearance. All we have to do is cause a commotion and we've got ourselves an audience."

They both looked around for some way to cause mischief and their eyes rested on carts of cakes and fireworks leaning off to the side of the street.

"Let's get started." Said Merry.


	3. Chapter 2, Troubles with Being Royalty

Rapunzel was having a splendid week. She was with her new family who proved to be eager and kind to her. She was princess of a kingdom which adored her enough to hold a week long party. Not to mention she had a certain thief, turned gentleman, turned romantic as her escort. She giggled, getting off her bed to head downstairs so that she could meet up with Eugene. They had a public appearance scheduled and she could not wait to get out to meet the people. It was one of the many joys of being royalty in her opinion. Her chameleon Pascal clambered onto her shoulder with a whirring sound just as she exited the room.

However, before she could take a step out of the room she was ambushed by the very man her thoughts rested on.

"BOO!" shouted Eugene, jumping out from behind the door frame. Rapunzel made a small eep noise before being caught in a warm embrace. Careful not to crush Pascal, she extricated herself from Eugenes attack.

"Good morning Eugene." She whispered to him.

"Hey Blondie! Ready to go see your loyal subjects?" Said Eugene with a very Flynnish look in his eyes. Rapunzel scoffed softly, she wasn't even a blonde anymore but Eugene still called her "Blondie". On top of that she was still a bit weird about the who "loyal subjects" thing. But the mischievous look on Eugene's face made it all too clear that his goal was to annoy her. So she acted as any princess should. She smacked him on the arm.

Eugene pretended to look hurt before following her downstairs towards the castle gate. Rapunzel threw open the castle gate with a flourish and was met with a resounding cheer among the people. Eugene stepped in behind her and she laced her fingers into his. The kingdom had celebrated with exuberance at Rapunzel's reappearance. They had not calmed down even after three weeks and the cheering didn't subside until a few guards shouted for quiet. Suddenly, they both noticed the strangest sight that had ever been witnessed in the kingdom. Two hairy, short, children were running around with lit fireworks and fresh cakes causing panic, hysteria, and otherwise just being ridiculous. One of them threw a cake with precision accuracy at a guard and the other was trying to smear it over his fireworks. Rapunzel caught a fragmented word that sounded somewhat like "Whazzitfurgensire!" before a deafening crack sounded in the courtyard. 10 rockets blasted all over the square knocking over people and causing mass destruction. The cakes flew up and landed on a few unfortunate pedestrians.

Eugene was quick to step in front of Rapunzel and when the smoke had cleared, a sight of pure insanity was presented to the princess. The ground was littered with unconscious people, bits of cake, and leftover firework scraps. Right in the middle, lying in a great heap were the two children they saw earlier now covered in soot and dazed. Rapunzel stormed down the steps to confront the two but before she got there they had already gotten up and were now heading in her direction. They clearly were not 100% recovered because they both walked at odd angles but she could tell that under different circumstances they would be similar to the thugs at the Snugly Duckling. Full of cheer and merriment.

Of course that didn't stop Rapunzel from confronting them with a furious expression and a frying pan at the ready.

"What in the world are you DOING!" she yelled at them. They just stared at her for a moment before the taller one spoke

"Where are we?" He asked with a completely straight face.

"Wha?" the response was so unexpected that Rapunzel was momentarily taken aback.

The taller one then proceed to introduce himself as Merry and the shorter one and Pippin in a quick blast of greeting.

"Now where did you say we were?" the taller one repeated.

Eugene was the first one to properly respond and he asked scathingly, "What were you two thinking? People could have gotten hurt!"

Only now did the two of them take in the destruction that they had caused and raised their chins thoughtfully. "We needed an audience with the rulers of this fine city so we tried to draw attention." Said the shortest one after a pause.

"Even so, children should not be pulling pranks like this. Where are your parents?" Said Rapunzel, putting on her best regal face.

It was Merry who responded this time saying "Now wait just a moment! Who said children? We, good miss, are hobbits of the Shire."

To this, Rapunzel and Eugene had nothing at all to say. So they "escorted" them both into the throne room and presented them to the king a queen. That is when the greatest story that ever should never have not ever been told was told…


	4. Chapter 3, Many Meetings

"So let me get this straight." Said Queen Anne "You two are adults." She said pointing at Merry and Pippin. "You are short because you are _Hobbits_." She said as if she still didn't think that there was any such thing as a hobbit.

King Richard now continued saying "Wandered here into our kingdom because you were lost and when you needed to see us in order to find your way home, you decided to bomb the town square?"

Merry and Pippin shot each other concerned looks before turning to the king and saying "Exactly your majesty."

"That is the most-" The Queen began to speak but just then five guards burst into the throne room. Two were escorting a tall old man dressed in white with an ornate walking staff while the other three were grappling with what looked like a large hairy lump. It was short and stout with a braided beard and a masterfully crafted axe and helm.

It would have been impressive if it had not been screaming "Putah meh down!" and "Get your hands off me!" every few seconds. Rapunzel and Eugene both were instantly reminded of the thugs at the Snuggly Duckling. The old man however was not paying attention to the _thing_. Rather he seemed to be looking at so called Merry and Pippin with interest.

"Gandalf!" Merry and Pippin exclaimed together with rather amazed expressions.

"Indeed." Responded Gandalf dryly "What idiotic mess am I going to have to solve this time?" Meanwhile the lump was causing problems.

"Fools! I am Gimli, son of Glóin. Lord of the Glittering Ca-" He was cut short as Rapunzel strode up to him swiftly and with a single deft movement, stuck him with a frying pan. Thus, Gimli lost interest in further proceedings and fell to the floor in a lump of slumbering dwarf.

Gandalf hardly looked away from the King and Queen as he gestured to Gimli "I apologize for his actions, this is a bit of a shock to him. However I can see that the matter has been settled by this young lady and her skill with a frying pan." Gandalf cleared his throat briefly before speaking again "I hope my friends have not caused any trouble here." Gandalf shot a quick glance at Merry who shrugged guiltily.

The king looked incredulous but nodded at this "Gandalf" character. Nothing we can't fix but they came in here demanding audience just to spin a fantastic fairytale about _Hobbits_ and a place called _The Shire_. Contrary to what they were expecting Gandalf nodded with a calm expression. "Yes, I was informed by Eru before my return that Sauron might try this should we win the war. He has broken the barrier between our worlds and now seeks a way to return to power." Most of those in the room were clueless as to what this old man was talking about but Merry and Pippin immediately exchanged nervous glances.

"Tell me," Gandalf started "is there and thing that one could use to return from beyond life here?" Rapunzel flinched suddenly reaching for her now short brown hair "Interesting…" Gandalf muttered half to himself. "As we have caused such a commotion I ask your pardon however I must inform you that we cannot leave your kingdom unless our quest is complete."

Eugene, who had been silent until now started to protest but The King cut him off with a wave of his hand. King Richard strode off his throne to look at this old man. He was an excellent judge of character and prided himself on his ability to see into the motivations of others.

Richard looked into Gandalfs blue eyes, he saw a strong figure who was wise beyond measure. Also he saw great pain, this old man had seen war, perhaps even led it. He saw power and grace as well. Something about this old man left him without a doubt that it was vital he stay. Richard shot a look at Anne who was having the same thoughts and an unseen agreement passed between them.

"Very well." The King declared "You and your-" he paused for a moment looking with obvious concern at the others "-_companions_ shall be granted a room within our castle." Rapunzel looked at her father like he was insane but Gandalf just smiled. "However, my daughter and her beau must be allowed to accompany you as guides."

It was an innocent enough gesture but Gandalf saw the intent behind it. The king needed a way to get information about them without raising alarm. Gandalf then turned his attention to Rapunzel and Eugene who were both fuming over this announcement. The king needed information, but it didn't mean that the two had to like it.

"Many thanks then. If our guides would be kind enough to show us to our rooms we would be grateful." Said Gandalf rising off his staff and up to his full height. Suddenly he was less of an old man and more of an enigma to everyone present aside from the Hobbits and Gimli who was still slumped on the floor.

Eugene was about to respond with a snappy remark but Rapunzel recovered remembering her princess lessons and said "We would be honored." Shooting a look and Eugene that clearly said _Say anything and you will feel this pan!_ Neither of them looked happy about this but they led their way to a room on the second floor of the castle.


	5. Chapter 4, War of the Ring

"So… Tell us a little about yourselves." Said Rapunzel the next day while they ate with their new companions. As of last night She and Eugene had become their personal guides following them everywhere with no hope of escape. This in turn caused Rapunzel to attempt to get to know them better. She was a naturally inquisitive and friendly person and she felt the need to achieve some level of friendship with her new companions. Eugene on the other hand felt no urge whatsoever to greet them. His time with Rapunzel was being soaked up in these now visitors, thus he was less than sympathetic to whatever brought them here.

"Well I suppose we could introduce ourselves." said Pippin with a look at the others.

"A fine idea Peregrin." Said Gimli who had since recovered from his unfortunate "accident" and was briefed on the situation by Gandalf.

"Then I shall begin." Announced Gandalf "I am Gandalf the White, or as the elves say Mithrandir, The White Wizard" He ended with a warm smile.

"Wait? Elves? Wizards?" said Eugene confused.

Gandalf sighed before saying "I suppose I should explain. There are many worlds in existence. Thin veils separate these worlds. However someone sufficiently powerful may magically weaken these veils and cause holes to appear."

Rapunzel was the first to respond by saying "But what do you mean by magic?"

It was Eugene who bent closer and whispered something I her ear that made her eyes widen. Unknown to the rest of them, Rapunzel was a first hand example of magic and Eugene reminded her of that.

"Well mine name is Gimli, son of Glóin, Lord of the Glittering Caves." Said Gimli with a gruff handshake to both Rapunzel and Eugene. "I suppose this would be you're first time seeing a dwarf." He said, seeing the question that was practically eating Rapunzel from the inside.

"You already know us." Said Merry and Pippin in unsion. "Merriadoc Brandybuck, Esquire of Rohan and Peregrin Took, Knight of Gondor."

"And Hobbits of the Shire!" added Pippin with pride.

Rapunzel realized it was her turn next and a wave of insecurity washed over her but she forced it down after a few moments. "Rapunzel of Corona, Crown Princess." She announced as instructed by her tutors.

Eugene spoke next saying "Eugene Fitzherbert," earning a chuckle from one of the hobbits. He shot them a cross look before continuing "Prince Consort also known as Flynn Rider, Master Thief." That line defiantly came as a shocker and both hobbits were both holding back urges to bombard him with questions with he had stolen. Them being amateur crooks themselves.

A brief silence followed before Rapunzel spoke up. "So what is you _quest_ exactly?" Rapunzel hastily added "I'm just curious is all." When she received wary looks from all of them.

"Well you see, in our world a war was recently fought." Gandalf began. Rapunzel was instantly curious, her tutors had mentioned war to her but she was still trying to grasp the concept. After all, why would two kingdoms try to kill each other?

"Aye, a war we almost lost." Continued Gimli who had noticed Rapunzel's confusion. Eugene smiled at the princess. She could be so candid and innocent at times. It was to him as if she was a blank canvas free of any taint.

Gandalf continued his story with a hushed tone. "It began with the creation of the twenty rings. Sauron the deceiver gave to each race, rings of power. The elves were the fairest of all beings, immortal, and received three rings. The dwarves who were the expert miners and architects of the mountains were given seven rings. But humans, they were the most easily swayed and were given nine rings."

Rapunzel looked on, totally engrossed in the story. Even Eugene looked impressed albeit skeptical about this magic rings talk.

"However Sauron withheld a single ring. This was his master ring, his ring that was built to control all others. He poured his soul into this ring and in turn his ring gave him power over the others. The elves immediately sensed Sauron's trickery and tore off their rings. The dwarves were as unmovable as the stone they mine so not much passed for them besides a newfound lust for riches. However men were blinded by their greed and took these rings. So Sauron now used his power to cover the lands in darkness. However among the free people of Middle Earth, some still fought him."

Eugene could sense where this was going and he knew that Rapunzel would not like to hear this. However he knew it was important and that the king would want a second opinion from her so he refrained from saying anything.

Gandalf spoke now in a hushed voice with his audience entrapped. "The Battle of Dagorlad was fought between Sauron's armies and The Last Alliance. On that day all life was divided except the elves who were unified under the high elven king, Gil-galad. Elendil led the armies and a battle was fought which caused the deaths of over 220,000 people. Both sides suffered heavy casualties and the war lasted very long. Gil-galad was slain by Sauron and Elendil suffered the same fate. However in the last moments of battle, Prince Isildur took up the blade of his father, Narsil and with a lucky stroke cut the ring from Sauron's hand. Sauron was defeated and the free people rejoiced."

Rapunzel's lower lip now trembled with anticipation. All those people had died for the victory. But something in Gandalf's expression told her that this was only the beginning. She briefly changed her sitting position and motioned for Gandalf to continue.

Eugene could also sense the dread in Rapunzel and he quickly moved to her side to offer a comforting arm around her waist. They both settled in for the remainder of this story.

"Although Sauron was defeated, Isildur gave into his own weakness. He kept the ring and so the portion of Sauron's soul within the ring survived. 2500 years later, Sauron was ready to return. He reclaimed and rebuilt his ancient fortress and called forth a new army to attack the free people. However this time there would be no easy victory. The dwarves had retreated underground to mine for riches. The elves were leaving Middle Earth and had lost much of their elder glory. Men were scattered and without a king. However a secret hope remained with the ring. It had been found once more and a secret expedition was made to destroy it, The Fellowship of the Ring." Gandalf declared proudly gesturing to his companions, "of which we were all part of. So a war was fought with the free people having no hope of victory. However the Great Eye of Sauron was all seeing yet blind. Distracted by the war he did not see the danger of the ring until it was destroyed, and with it, Sauron himself."

"However Sauron still seeks a way to return." Said Gandalf ominously, "He must have found a way to revive himself in this world because he has opened holes in between our world and yours. He is coming after whatever it is will save him and make no mistake, he will kill anyone in order to get it."

Rapunzel let out a gasp and Eugene released his pent up breath he had been holding. That would mean that the "Dark Lord" would come after Rapunzel and Corona. From the sounds of the story Gandalf told, that was bad. After all, Corona was not a military force by nature and if an army of elves, humans, and dwarves could not repel him, who could?

Gandalf however simply assumed that they were gasping out of amazement/horror in the story and was unaware of the silent mental battle going on between Eugene and Rapunzel.

_Should we tell him? _Said Rapunzel with a quick glance at her beau.

Eugene responded with an intense look that clearly said, _Tell them during our story._

Rapunzel spoke next saying "Well I guess it's our turn to speak. This is our story."


	6. Chapter 5, Tale of the Lost Princess

Gandalf settled in to listen to the story that was about to be presented. He now suspected that this couple had more to them than he had originally seen.

Eugene was the first to speak, "Well our story begins with a single drop of sunlight that once fell not far from here." This story was common speak among the kingdom, everyone was familiar with it. If not the basic principles. Eugene continued with a somber expression, "This drop of sunlight grew into a magical golden flower of the sun. However it was discovered by a woman named Mother Gothel. For years she used it to keep herself young and healthy by singing a song to it."

"Could we hear this song?" asked Pippin.

Rapunzel bit her lip out of concern. It had been so long since she had sung it. At least that's how it felt to her. But with everyone watching her she closed her eyes and began the melody

Flower gleam and glow.

Let your powers shine.

Make the clock reverse.

Bring back what once was mine.

Heal what has been hurt.

Change the fates design.

Save what has been lost.

Bring back what once was mine.

What once was mine.

The melody was haunting and beautiful and it sent shivers down the spines of the visitors. The hobbits looked stunned and the dwarf surprised. Only the wizard was solemn and even so it was obvious that he was impressed by the thoughtful look he now possessed.

Eugene cleared his throat to get their attention then continued, "However when Queen Anne was going to have a child she became ill with a devastating illness. So the castle guard and peasants went on the hunt for the magic flower. They found it and Mother Gothel was deprived of her youth. The flower was destroyed to heal the queen and a baby princess was born with golden hair. To celebrate the birth the King and Queen sent a lantern into the night sky. But Gothel would not give up so easily. She snuck into the castle and kidnapped the child."

Merry and Pippin looked alarmed at this and Rapunzel was equally nervous. It hadn't been long since she had considered Gothel her mother and to hear about her like this was difficult.

"Gothel took the child to a hidden tower and raised it as her own. Gothel realized that singing the song in the girls presence could grant her youth and beauty once again. So the girl was confined to her tower and told that the outside world was a terrible and cruel world. Gothel did this because when the princess's hair was cut it turned brown and lost its power. Thus the princess ended up with 70 feet of long blonde hair. However the princess saw on her birthday each year, thousands of lanterns float up into the sky. Sent by her parents to call her home." Explained Eugene with an expert voice that had obvious practice.

"You have a talent." Remarked Gimli.

Eugene smiled and thought back to his days in the orphanage when he used to read "The Tales of Flynnagan Rider" to the other kids. He continued with his story after nodding politely at Gimli. "Then when this girl, Rapunzel turned 18. A dashing, handsome, and totally good looking thief snuck into her tower."

"And this girl knocked him unconscious with her frying pan." Said Rapunzel with a disdainful look at Eugene which earned her a crooked smile from him.

Eugene then continued with his story, "So she blackmailed him with his stolen crown and they set off on a journey out of the tower. On the way they stopped by The Snuggly Ducking Parlour which was a ploy used by the dashing thief to try to dissuade the princess from continuing. However she proved more stout hearted then he would have predicted and they ended up sharing a moment together in which he revealed his real name and she revealed her magic glowing hair."

Eugene paused for dramatic effect before continuing with his tale. "So once they reached the kingdom, Rapunzel was treated to a magnificent sight of lanterns lighting up the night sky light stars. Together with her thief she gave him the crown, they shared a moment and almost a kiss. But before he could kiss her he saw his old partners in crime of whom he had um… swindled out of their fair share. He no longer wanted the crown so he want to return it to them but they had been working with Gothel from the start and kidnapped him and made it look as if he had abandoned the princess. Heartbroken, Rapunzel fled to her tower only to receive a flashback that showed her identity as the princess. Gothel, in response chained her up and tried to haul her away. However her thief escaped prison and went to her tower to save her. He climbed the tower only to see Rapunzel trying to warn him before he was stabbed by Gothel. Rapunzel promised Gothel that if she could heal the thief she would go willingly with her. But before she could heal him the thief used a shard of broken mirror to cut Rapunzel's hair, killing Gothel. With its magic lost, Rapunzel's hair could not save the thief. However by some miracle a trace of magic remained and it was used to heal the thief. Thus they returned to the kingdom into the open arms of royalty and the kingdom rejoiced."

Eugene's audience was listening intently. Gandalf looked both perturbed and thoughtful while the hobbits were wide eyed and curious. Gimli however was holding back tears until he burst into thick sobs.

"Such a beautiful tale brings joy and sorrow to my heart. Tis been long since I heard of a romance so epic." Gimli choked out in between sobs.

"Yes, it was quite the tale." Said Gandalf who was now scrutinizing Rapunzel with renewed interest.

However before any of them could think too deeply on what they had learned, the sound of fighting reached their ears.


	7. Chapter 6, Dark Tidings

Gandalf exited the door only to come face to face with what he feared would happen. A party of some 12 orcs was running down the hallway chopping down any royal guards in their way with wicked blades. They leered at Gandalf when he appeared and halted before them staring with hateful eyes.

They wore rags under their crude armor and it was unclear to Rapunzel if they were covered in filth or just malformed. One spoke in a harsh grunting voice, "Give us the girl Stormcrow! You have no business here."

"Orcs!" shouted Gimli as he pulled out his axe and ran at them full speed, not needing more reason to attack.

Eugene followed closely behind wielding a deadly frying pan with a determined look plastered on his face.

The hobbits stood behind Gandalf as protection for Rapunzel who was the obvious target. Eugene was the first to strike a blow and the sound of metal clang filled the air as an orc fell without a sound. Then Gimli let out a fierce battle cry and struck two down with his axe.

The acrid stench of blood drifted through the hall as the party pushed the orcs back. The guards made a timely recovery and with their help, the orcs started to retreat down the hall. Gandalf wielded his staff in one hand and Glamdring in the other. With a spinning sweep he killed the last orc, ending the battle.

Rapunzel was horrified and had her hands over her mouth, tears threatening to spill over. Eugene quickly ran to embrace her and shielded her from the gruesome sight, escorting her to her parents. Gandalf and his party followed closely behind, intent on seeing if more were lurking in the shadows.

All the while Gandalf was deep in thought. _What would orcs want with this place? _The answer was presented in the form of a glance sideways. _They wanted the princess and her magic hair!_ Thought Gandalf grimly.

Once they reached the throne room they realized that the King and Queen were already informed of the recent development as they instantly rushed forward and asked, "Who sent those things!"

Gimli responded saying, "It was a scouting party of Sauron's army. They were probably sent to scope out the castle. Sauron obviously wants-"

However before Gimli could finish the room darkened.

Shadows seemed to extend from the walls and suddenly the chamber felt 10 degrees colder. A dark presence was felt by all and a tall, stern figure seemed to almost materialize into the room.

"Who are you!" demanded the guard nearest.

The figure raised his hand and suddenly the man paled before collapsing on the spot. This was all too much for Rapunzel who swayed before Eugene rushed up to support her.

The figure lowered his hood and revealed his face. He was a young man with sharp angular features who seemed to burn with inner fire and emit ice. His eyes were cold and calculating with little passion showing in their depths. He spoke in a commanding yet eerie rasping whisper. His voice reverberated off the walls and all of those present could feel his power.

"Who are you?" demanded the king with impressive authority, "How dare you enter my hall!"

"I am Mandos, Doomsman of the Valar and Ruler of the Dead. Heed me well mortals for I bear a message from Manwe himself."

Gandalf had lost all color in his face and fell to his knees before murmuring his obeisance to this "Lord of the Dead" whom had appeared. The others didn't need any more convincing and they too kneeled, even the King and Queen bowed deeply and looked scared beyond wit.

"Sauron's reach has entered this world and now darkness follows it." Mandos began, "I bring you tidings of doom and peril." He looked at Eugene with distaste and then openly scowled when he saw Rapunzel. "Although I hate mortals who cheat death I must speak of the danger that is to come." He continued, "Sauron is seeking the Tear of Arien to revive himself. He wishes to regain his full measure of power once more." Then Mandos's voice reached an ominous tone, "And the Valar fear he is trying to break the Door of Night. He will unleash Morgoth, the first dark lord on the world."

Gandalf cried out in fear and shock, "He seeks to cause the destruction of the world? To return the dark god Morgoth to power is suicide!"

Mandos shook his head and spoke again, "Maybe for you, but Sauron was Morgoth's Lieutenant once and he will be looked upon with favor if he does this. He will cause the Dagor Dagorath as prophesized however with the power to revive the dead he will be unstoppable. There will be no second music, only a total darkness."

"All the powers of the world will be insufficient to fight him off if he gets that girl." Mandos said pointing at Rapunzel.

Rapunzel paled under his gaze and said in a small voice, "Me?"

Mandos narrowed his eyes and said, "Yes you child. They must protect you at all costs." He turned to Gandalf and said, "And as much as I would desire to end her mortal life now I was not ordered to. Manwe has forbidden it for the power of Arien is only broken in natural death."

"Wait!" exclaimed Eugene, "That's not fair! Who are you to tell us this?"

Mandos regarded him with a cold stare and Eugene felt a chill crawl up his neck. In a second he saw his entire life flash before him. All of his accomplishments… and his crimes.

Mandos's gaze pierced Eugene and after a pause he spoke again. "Do not speak to me about fairness mortal. What is more fair than death? I am judge of the dead, my word dictates what is fair and what isn't."

"Therefore," Mandos Continued, "You must safeguard this girl until the Valar can find a way to stop Sauron before he accomplishes his goal." He turned to Gandalf and said in a scathing tone, "Do not fail Olórin else I may need to speak to your teacher Nienna about your failure."

He narrowed his eyes once more before flickering and turning into a swarm of crows that burned up in black fire. The room suddenly felt like it had a weight lifted off it and the coldness started to creep away.

Gandalf spoke now with barely suppressed fear. "We now face a doom which we must confront else the gods themselves will be powerless to help."


	8. Chapter 7, A Purple Military

I'm not dead, just capricious.

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><p>"What do you see?" said Aragorn, staring out from the woods bordering the shore.<p>

Legolas deftly leapt down from his perch in a tree before speaking. "It is a castle of the Atani."

"So they are men..." whispered Aragorn half to himself.

"Indeed, they appear to be in the midst of a rather rowdy celebration. I was able to see much dancing as well as a clear fixation for gold and purple." said Legolas while nodding. "Shall we investigate?"

Aragorn held out a hand in warning. "Wait, we do not know who these people could be. I've never heard of any nation passionate about purple and none of this land is familiar to me."

"What then do you suggest?" inquired Legolas.

Aragorn places his hand on his chin and thought for a moment before responding. "We must get disguises so as to not draw attention..."

Legolas nodded vigorously in agreement. "How then shall we go about this?"

Aragorn grasped him by the shoulder and stared him in the eyes. "You prepare the cloaks, I shall prepare the purple..."

And so followed an hour and a half of herb gathering, and dyeing.

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><p>The townsfolk whispered excitedly as two figures strolled through the town during high noon. Both wore long cloaks of a rich purple hue, and neither managed to remain even remotely inconspicuous.<p>

"...I think, this is not working _mellon nin_." whispered Legolas to Aragorn.

Aragorn pulled his cowl farther down to cover his face. "...was it not you who spoke of purple?..."

Legolas was quiet for a moment before responding. "At least we shall have no trouble entering the palace. As we are, the guards might mistake us for foreign diplomats."

Aragorn said nothing, but simply sped up slightly.

* * *

><p>After roughly 10 minutes of walking up and down various staircases, approximately 4 dead ends, and a near collision with a cart of baked goods, the two travellers decided to enter a nearby tavern in hopes of gathering their bearings.<p>

The interior of the tavern was simple and rustic. A painting of a duck adorned one of the walls and a half-dozen patrons occupied the seats. Upon their entry, the room fell silent.

"_Thugs..._" thought Aragorn. "_Men like these are always present somewhere. Most likely, they've information on the area._"

Reaching into his pocket, Aragorn retrieved his pipe and took to sitting in a corner. Legolas followed him over and set next to him, straining his ears to catch the conversations of the other patrons.

Several anecdotes concerning the fulfillment of dreams later, Aragorn and Legolas were finally greeted with useful information.

"...will be held up in front of the castle. They're planning of having it last a few days. After all, there are plenty of foreign representatives who'll on their way right as we speak." said one rather thin man.

"Bah! I reckon it'll be nothing but a bunch of whiny milk drinkers! We ought not to let 'em past the central square!" replied a barrel-chested fellow seated to the left of him

_"A central square._" though Aragorn "_Most likely, this will have a central position in the town. If we can reach it, the keep shouldn't be too difficult of a navigational challenge._"

Legolas had clearly heard the same thing. He nodded at Aragorn, then went up to the bar and beckoned the bartender over.

"Have you any instruction on how one might reach the town square?" asked Legolas.

The bartender stared at him, clearly disappointed that he was not buying. Finally, he grunted and spoke. "Just head out o' th' tavern and take three lefts. From there, head up the road 'till ye see a big ol' banner. Then turn right, then left again and you'll be there."

Legolas nodded his appreciation, then motioned for Aragorn to follow. After relaying the directions, the pair began to head off in the direction of the castle.

* * *

><p>"Your guard captain is a <em>horse<em>." repeated Merry absolutely dumbfounded.

Rapunzel frowned and tilted her head. "You've already said that 4 times just now..."

"Your guard captain IS A _HORSE!_" reiterated Merry slightly louder.

Eugene raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You might have magic, but our world clearly has MUCH better horses." he remarked.

"YOUR GUARD CA-" began Merry.

Gandalf placed his palm over Merry's mouth, muffling his cries into something resembling "mmmphhhmm! mmphhhoorrsshhmmh!"

"That's quite enough Meriadoc!" said Gandalf. "We are attempting to take stock of our military assets, and you are not assisting!"

Merry fell silent, seemingly content to stare disbelievingly at the assembled council whilst opening and closing his mouth in confusion.

"Anyways..." said King Richard. "We've a garrison of roughly 300 guards which we could supplement with an additional 700 from an initial draft. Drawing from other towns, we could bring in possibly 2500 additional irregulars assuming enough time was made available to gather them. Finally, we've roughly 50 men-at-arms present in our court at the castle."

"If you'd like," interjected Queen Anne, "I could arrange a meeting with Sir Conflêxê. He is currently the most capable of our warriors and has won in most of the tournaments he's entered here. In addition, he's most likely who the men-at-arms will follow in the event of an attack on the castle."

Gimli nodded thoughtfully. "What about weapons? Armor? What've ye got for them to use?" he asked.

Eugene glanced at the dwarf but hesitated before responding. Finally, he spoke. "Well, you've seen the guards. Most wear cuirasses, helmets, and carry either swords, spears, crossbows, or frying pans."

Gimli scowled at the mention of the last item, but tactfully ignored it, instead opting to say, "No shields, greaves, or gauntlets? Not yer best choice, but better than nothin' I s'ppose."

"And what of those taken by the draft? How would you arm them?" inquired Gandalf. "Surely you've something to outfit them with?"

"Indeed we do." responded King Richard. "At least a third of the predicted army could be outfitted with spare items from the guards, as well as stockpiled items. The remained two-thirds we'll need to either make ourselves, or else purchase from our neighbors."

Rapunzel spoke up at this. "Doesn't the Kingdom of Ferrilan have a lot of arms and armor which we can buy?" she said somewhat timidly.

"Hey! Good idea Blondie." said Eugene, giving her a pat on the back.

Queen Anne nodded, pondering the possibility. "Well, the trade routes by sea are short from us to their nearest port city; plus, I have also received word that they've in fact sent a group of well wishers and diplomats here, no doubt in light of recent events." she said, directing the last statement at Rapunzel.

"So you'll be negotiating with them?" asked Pippin.

"It would be a waste not to." said Richard. "As it stands, we're woefully unprepared for full-scale war. Our only advantage lies in our booming trade and economy. We might not be able to protect ourselves with what we have, but I've always believed that with enough diplomacy, no problem is insurmountable."

Gandalf nodded and spoke. "Wise words indeed. Yet I fear that the time to defend yourselves is nigh upon you. I can only hope that perhaps you are right, and others will come to our aid."

"Well we've got friends too!" said Merry. "If any of the others made it, I'm sure that by now they'll be headed on our way."

Gandalf frowned and shook his head. "It would be overly optimistic to place all bets on that; although I do firmly agree with your faith in our friends Meriadoc. Instead, we must first deal with the situation as it is." Gandalf looked around at the assembled participants. "Orcs have actually entered your palace, on a day of celebration no less."

King Richard looked away uncomfortably. "For now, I advise you to double to guard on the surrounding lands. Send word to the surrounding towns that they are to remain vigilant and report any suspicious travelers to us." continued Gandalf.

Queen Anne responded with incredulity. "And terrify our subjects? I'm afraid master Gandalf, that our people wouldn't so easily accept such a change. We'll need to ease them into it. After all, this isn't an obvious war at the moment; provoking their fears would only incite panic."

"Better they get used to it now, while the war is still not official." said Gandalf with an ominous tone. "In our world, the Free People were totally unprepared for Sauron's return. As a result, we nearly suffered a crippling defeat. As it is, our victory cost us dearly. So you must ask yourself, is it at all worth it to delay?"

Anne shook her head and took a step backwards. "I do not like it... But perhaps you know better than us. But Gandalf, please tell us, is this enemy of ours truly so dangerous? What threat does he pose?"

A hush fell on the room and Gandalf glanced around before beginning. "He was once a Maiar. A spirit of great power who served Aulë the Smith before the creation of the world. But in his fall to darkness, he became something terrible." said Gandalf in a dark tone.

Eugene hugged Rapunzel slightly closer, silently praying for some sort of way to reassure her.

"The Sindar, grey Elves of Beleriand, called him Gorthaur, the Dread Abomination. All manner of fell creatures served him, from dark werewolves which he was once lord over, to great fire dragons spawned by his master Morgoth." explained Gandalf. "This is an enemy whom transcends the individual needs of any single nation or race!"

King Richard sighed and rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Regardless, we must begin preparations immediately. Whoever this enemy is, I'll not have him take my daughter so soon after her return!"

"Don't worry." said Gimli. "We Dwarves are a tough bunch to crack! If Sauron is back, I'm not going to let him off easy."

Pippin started to respond, but the sudden entrance of a guard into the room put an end to whatever his statement was.

"Sir! Sir!" called a guard. "They're here! A group from Ferrilan have arrived."

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><p>Thank you for your reviews, and for putting up with (I hope) my atrocious level of commitment to writing. Also, I apologize for the vast quantities of dialogue and absence of action from this chapter.<p> 


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